Outdoor​/Nature​/Animal Care Instructor, Outdoor ​/ Nature

Education Instructor - Helen Woodward Animal Center

Do you love working with animals & kids?

Location:

Rancho Santa Fe, CA | Pay: $19.25 - $19.75 an hour |

Hours:

Part Time, Year Round (Thursday - Saturday or Sunday - Tuesday, 16-24 hours/week)

Do you enjoy educating people about animals and their care through a variety of programs such as day camps, Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops, birthday parties, and more? While handling animals, managing the group, and adhering to a provided curriculum, you will attend to the safety and wellbeing of animals, clients, and volunteers at all times. This involves organizing the set up and cleanup of spaces utilized for programs, including decorating for birthday parties.

While employed as an Education Instructor, you will lead visitors around Helen Woodward Animal Center while maintaining group safety. Our Instructors complete animal care responsibilities as needed and keep current on animal care and handling techniques. Education Instructors are also tasked with keeping current on knowledge about domestic and wild animals, the natural environment, and other related topics in humane education.

Our Instructors assist with training staff/volunteers as needed, while maintaining excellent customer service when interacting with clients. Perform various office tasks such as determining presentation order of scheduled programs, taking payments, acquiring signed waivers or photo releases, copying documents, passing out flyers, and decorating for seasonal events. Maintain compliance with the Center's policies and procedures.

• Educate visitors and program participants about animal care.
• Lead and manage groups of all ages during programs.
• Maintain safety and wellbeing of animals, clients, and volunteers.
• Organize set up and cleanup of program spaces, including decorations.
• Lead visitors around the animal center while ensuring group safety.
• Carry out animal care responsibilities as needed.
• Keep current on animal care, handling techniques, and educational content.
• Assist in training staff and volunteers.
• Provide excellent customer service.
• Perform office tasks such as scheduling, payment collection, waivers, flyers, and event decorations.

• Experience working with children and adults in a group setting.
• Experience handling hoof stock, small mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, and other animals.
• Upbeat, enthusiastic, proactive, and professional attitude.
• Knowledge of interpretive techniques, learning styles, and child development stages.
• Ability to use positive techniques for handling disruptive people of any age.
• Ability to be flexible with unplanned changes to presentations.
• Valid California driver’s license and good driving record; ability to drive large vehicles safely.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with others, share ideas constructively, keep commitments, and address problems collaboratively.
• Regular, consistent attendance and punctuality.

Helen Woodward Animal Center is a smoke‑free environment. Smoking is not permitted in any Center building or vehicle.

Salary: $19.25 - $19.75 per hour